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trial thread; 3/6/2012

New thread for a new day. Please remember the rules

discuss here.

--------the crown will present its' case in chapters:

The Crown's case will proceed in chapters, Gowdey said:

Chapter 1: The day of the kidnapping. The surveillance video showing Rafferty driving up the street outside Tori's school and McClintic walking Tori up the street. Witnesses from and around Oliver Stephens public school will talk about seeing Tori.

An identification officer will use photographs and maps to show the route from Woodstock to Guelph.

Tori's mother, Tara McDonald, will testify about the frantic hours the family spent looking for Tori.

Chapter 2: Terri-Lynne McClintic. "She was an essential part of all that happened," Gowdey said. "I expect her credibility will be a major issue in this case."

Chapter 4: the Mount Forest death scene, which the jury will visit. "It will be difficult to go to the very place where this happened, I know that, but understanding the crime scene is crucial to understanding the crime," Gowdey said. Photographs, some of them graphic, will be used to explain "exactly how the killing happened."

"Unfortunately it is only through them that you can fully understand (the) evidence," Gowdey said.

Chapter 5: Police interaction with Rafferty.

Chapter 6: The searches of Rafferty and McClintic's residences and the evidence found.

Chapter 7: The Honda Civic. What was found inside.

Chapter 8: Rafferty's connection to the Mount Forest area.

Chapter 9: Comments Rafferty made to friends after April 8. "He had some interesting things to say to other people about Terri-Lynne McClintic and about the kidnapping itself," Gowdey said.

Chapter 10: The May 15 weekend and Rafferty's actions.

Chapter 11: The BlackBerry. The BlackBerry allowed police to track his movements April 8 and after.

The communication continued even after McClintic was taken into custody, with regular phone contact between Rafferty and McClintic, from April 12 to May 15, while she was at the Genest Detention Centre in London. Rafferty was listed as McClintic’s “boyfriend” at the facility and had been approved by staff for visits. There is video tape, said Gowdey, of Rafferty with McClintic at Genest.

Based on how this article is written, Tori was in the car at Caressant Care and THEN the car was spotted at the ESSO station. That means everyone was in the car at the time and I'm 100% postive the Rafferty was the driver with a light coloured coat on, NOT TLM.

Also, Rafferty takes $40 from an ATM and is videotaped. In the same paragraph, TLM purchases the items from HD. Did he give her the $$$ to buy these items? Did he tell her what to buy?

Before this purchase, they arrive at the friend's in Guelph allegedly to buy percosets. If he did, then he had money on him so why did he take another $40 later? Short of cash? Money for tea?

At 3.20 p.m., the Civic was caught on a camera at a nearby Esso station. By 4.30 it was in Guelph where Rafferty went into a woman’s house, allegedly to buy Percocet pills — while McClintic remained in the vehicle. Tori was “hidden from sight.”

I can't imagine how Tara/Rodney & family are feeling having to listen to this info over again. My heart near exploded in grief a couple of times yesterday and I'm sure it's only going to get worst. My thoughts and prayers are with them as we move forward, hopefully to justice for sweet Tori!

I will try to post tweets from AM980 today, but again, I'm at work so it all depends on the demands on my time here.

AM980.ca ‏ @AM980_Court
The first witness to take the stand today will be the principal at Tori Stafford's elementary school. Live tweets to begin at 10 a.m.

I can't imagine how Tara/Rodney & family are feeling having to listen to this info over again. My heart near exploded in grief a couple of times yesterday and I'm sure it's only going to get worst. My thoughts and prayers are with them as we move forward, hopefully to justice for sweet Tori!

I will try to post tweets from AM980 today, but again, I'm at work so it all depends on the demands on my time here.

AM980.ca ‏ @AM980_Court
The first witness to take the stand today will be the principal at Tori Stafford's elementary school. Live tweets to begin at 10 a.m.

Thanks Sparklin. Just so we don't double post the same information, let me know if you want me to take over. I'm at work also but boss is away this week so will do my best to help out.

"This trial will travel down a long road," Gowdey told the jury of nine women and three men at the first-degree murder trial of Michael Thomas Rafferty, 31, in London.

"This is a difficult story to tell and it will be a difficult story for you to hear."

Victoria (Tori) Stafford, 8, walked out of school hoping to see a movie with friends on April 8, 2009, but "130 kilometres away from her home, was killed and left in a pile of rocks wearing only her Hannah Montana T-shirt and nothing else," Gowdey said. "She was naked from the waist down.

The girl was sexually assaulted. Before being struck in the head with a claw hammer, she was beaten so severely her liver was lacerated and ribs broken, he said.

If MR had planned this, wouldn't it make sense that he would have made sure before hand that he had gas in his car? Same with stopping at the ATM and Home Depot... why would he not be prepared for what he was about to do? Why take the chance of stopping anywhere with Tori in the car - when every stop would increase the chance of being caught? Just inept? Or was he not prepared because it was not his plan? Or maybe running the risk added to the 'excitement'?